M. R. Naylor

M. R. Naylor, 81, died Thursday, January 22, 2009 at a local nursing home. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2009 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Rev. Stan Allcorn and Dr. Jeff Reid will officiate. Burial will follow at 4:00 p.m. in Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home. M.R. was born in Ringgold, Texas to Joe Foster Naylor and Lena Gertrude (Potter) Naylor on January 7, 1928. He graduated from Ringgold High School in 1945 and attended Midwestern State University and North Texas State University. He served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1948 in the 11th Airborne. M.R. was the District Manager for 44 years with Lone Star Gas Company. He married Beverley Gillett on November 2, 1991. In 2001, M.R. moved to Abilene from Sweetwater, Texas. He was a member of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. M.R. was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Lena Naylor, his first wife, Wanda Naylor in October 1990, three brothers, J.F., Bill and Wilmer Naylor, four sisters, Anna Naylor, Bessie Bayless, Beatrice Sudderth and Jackie Stone, and one granddaughter, Carrie Naylor. He is survived by three sons, Michael Naylor and wife Judy of Burleson, Texas, Steve Naylor and wife Kimberly, of Ft. Worth, Texas and Kenny Naylor, of Wichita Falls, Texas; one daughter, Judy Bernethy and husband Jim, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; two step-daughters, Christy Gillett of Brownwood, Texas and Paula Beall and husband John, of Abilene, Texas; two step-sons, David Gillett and wife Donna, of Hawley, Texas and Kenny Gillett, of Brownwood, Texas, sister, Mickey Leeper, of Nocona, Texas, as well as 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made in honor of M.R. Naylor to the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church Building Fund, 701 South Pioneer Drive, Abilene, Texas 79605.